Summer 2016’s Crop of New Catskills Restaurants

The owners of Gracie's Food Truck have turned a classic Catskillian diner, the former Koch's, into a new luncheonette in Leeds. Photo courtesy of Gracie's.

It’s the growing season in the Catskills, and not just for area farms. A new crop of restaurants is springing up across the region along with the summer heat, from small cafes to rollicking music venues. Here are a few we’ve been tracking. Notice a new “now open” sign at a place in your neighborhood? Drop us a line, we’d love to introduce it to our readers.

Adella Dori Cafe: A full coffee bar and small breakfast and lunch plates are the mainstays at this Callicoon cafe helmed by Eva Barnett, a local farmhand turned restaurateur. All the food is locally sourced and the menu changes accordingly. Read our recent profile here. 33 Lower Main St., Callicoon. Weekday hours are 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. except Wednesday, when it is closed. Weekend hours are 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Saturday and 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Sunday.

Now open in Fleischmanns: Bebert’s, a vegetarian-friendly cafe. Photo by Catskill Eats

Bebert’s Condiments Cafe & Gallery: The folks behind the successful Moroccan specialty prepared foods company offer casual fare in a relaxed setting, with streamside dining. The menu includes all-day breakfasts and sandwiches such as goat cheese with chutney and mozzarella with tomatoes and basil. There is no meat on the vegan- and vegetarian-friendly menu, but the specialties of the house include smoked trout and smoked salmon. 1164 Main St., Fleischmanns. Thursday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Brown Bar and Kitchen, a new eatery on Route 296, the main drag between Windham and Hunter. Photo by Catskill Eats

Brown Bar and Kitchen: This laid-back Windham eatery has all the makings of your favorite local joint, with a sophisticated twist. The menu runs from sushi and sandwiches to fish and chips to serious rib eye steaks, with a full bar. The meat is organically and sustainably raised and the beers are a mix of local and German, while desserts are homemade by the chef’s sister. Sunday dinners are chalkboard specials, with discounts on food and booze. Read our profile here. 383 Route 296, Hensonville. Thursday through Sunday, 4 p.m. until late.

Butterfield: After multiple delays, the fine dining establishment inside the newly relaunched 18th-century Hasbrouck House inn finally has an official opening date: July 15. Look for high-end cuisine at this 100-seat restaurant, which features two dining rooms and a large bluestone patio. Local farm bounty and local spirits anchor the menu. Read our preview here. 3805 Main St., Stone Ridge. Hours TBD.

The Dinner Plate: Homestyle comfort foods define the menu at this new Delaware County spot. Look for chicken and biscuits, steaks, burgers and other traditional fare from chef/owner George Maltese, who tells The Mountain Eagle he hopes to eventually expand to lunch hours. 645 Main St., Hobart. Thursday 5 to 9 p.m., Friday 5 to 9:30 p.m., Saturday 2 to 9:30 p.m., Sunday 2 to 7 p.m.

Now open in Hobart: The Dinner Plate. Photo by Catskill Eats

Cabernet Frank’s in Parksville: live music and locally sourced barbecue. Photo via the venue’s Instagram feed

Cabernet Frank’s: “Bar, Bands and Borscht Belt BBQ” is the slogan for this new music venue in Parksville, and it delivers all three with panache. Its line-up of live music acts includes co-founder and NYC jazz performer Wade St. Germain (whose stage name is Cabernet Frank). Last fall, St. Germain’s partner RJ Baker opened the Beaverkill Studio, a film production house, next door. The pair was then inspired to refurbish and reopen the neighboring restaurant, which had been vacant for almost a decade. The menu includes local trout, as well as pork and chicken from Snowdance Farm. Read more from the Sullivan County Democrat. 38 Main St., Parksville. Friday and Saturday 4 to 11 p.m., with dinner service beginning at 5 p.m. A $5 cover charge applies during live music shows.

Gracie’s Luncheonette: Allyson Merritt and Andrew Spielberg, who have operated Gracie’s Food Truck since 2014, have taken over the former Koch’s Drive-In Restaurant in Leeds. Known for their doughnuts and cheeseburgers, the couple is going brick-and-mortar with a modern diner that’s tentatively scheduled to open next weekend. The locally sourced menu is focused on classic American comfort foods they make from scratch, from baking bread to curing and smoking bacon. All the condiments and fountain sodas are also created in-house. Doughnuts, pies and cakes are baked daily. Follow along on Instagram for updates. 969 Main St., Leeds. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. [UPDATE: Gracie’s is open as of July 19, 2016.]

The clubhouse at Shephard Hills Golf Course in Roxbury is once again serving food. Photo by Catskill Eats

Shephard Hills Tavern: The handsome stone clubhouse at the Roxbury golf course has seen its share of restaurants come and go in recent years. Greek restaurant Petra Taverna opened in 2014 but was short-lived, followed by an even briefer appearance by wedding venue Stone Tavern Farm last summer. Enter Addy Wojciechowski, who ran the Village Inn in Grand Gorge many years ago. She has taken over the restaurant operation, reopening it with a modestly priced menu of sandwiches and burgers, along with a full bar and a large patio. There’s also a kids’ menu and housemade desserts, all with a lovely view of the links and pond. 562 Shephard Hill Road, Roxbury. Thursday through Monday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Station Bar and Curio: Capitalizing on the Catskills’ growing inventory of craft beer, cider and spirits, this new hangout spot features an all-local bar and small bites menu. Housed in a historic train station in downtown Woodstock, it offers a pool table and a giant covered outdoor deck along with eclectic furnishings and Catskills memorabilia. Read our profile here. 101 Tinker St., Woodstock. Tuesday through Thursday 3 p.m. to 2 a.m., Friday through Monday, noon to 2 a.m.

Station Bar and Curio opened last month in a 116-year-old train station in Woodstock. Photo by Catskill Eats

Unclebrother: It’s a gallery, it’s a restaurant, it’s a new venture from art dealer Gavin Brown and artist Rirkrit Tiravanija, an eclectic mix of food and art that launched for real over Memorial Day after a trial run last fall. The cuisine changes weekly depending on what’s available from local farms, and ranges from Puerto Rican to Thai to Americana. There are taco nights with a large salsa bar, and always free curry. Read the back story in the New York Times and find some serious food porn on their Instagram feed. 250 E. Front St., Hancock. Dinner on Friday and Saturday 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Brunch on Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. through Labor Day.

Want more Catskill Eats? Please join us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for breaking news and more photos. Got a tip to offer? Drop us a line here.

The information contained in this transmission is attorney privileged and confidential. It is intended only for the use of the individuals or entities named above. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution, or copy of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by telephone or email. Finally, the recipient should check this email and any attachments for the presence of viruses. I do accept no liability for any damages caused by any virus transmitted by this email.